<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Thank You by thisisapaige</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26839936">Thank You</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/thisisapaige/pseuds/thisisapaige'>thisisapaige</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Thisisapaige's Suptober20 Collection [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Supernatural</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Established Relationship, Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Found Family, Love, M/M, One Shot, POV Sam Winchester, Post-Series, Sappy, Suptober 2020 (Supernatural), Team Free Will (Supernatural), Ten Years Later, Tooth-Rotting Fluff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 12:42:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,058</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26839936</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/thisisapaige/pseuds/thisisapaige</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>(For Suptober20. Day 5 Prompt: Daydream)</p><p>⁂<br/>"Did you ever think this would happen?"</p><p>“What?” Dean asked. </p><p>“Getting old.”</p><p>Dean snorted. It was enough of an answer.</p><p>“Yeah,” Sam said, “me too.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Castiel/Dean Winchester, Eileen Leahy/Sam Winchester, Kaia Nieves/Claire Novak</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Thisisapaige's Suptober20 Collection [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1950343</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>72</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Thank You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sam gave up on daydreams a long time ago. When he was younger, he fantasized about being adopted into a normal family, one that celebrated birthdays and thanksgivings, and about finding a place he belonged. Somewhere in between losing Jessica and killing the literal, actual, God, Sam’s daydreams faded away. He didn’t have time for them. He had work to do. </p><p>Except, he didn’t anymore. The world was saved. Chuck’s rein had ended. A new era of peace washed over the world, thanks to the combined effort of Jack, Billie, and Cas. Sam had to admit, that was not the team up he expected but, hey, the result spoke for itself. The years had been kind. Peaceful.</p><p>The days grew cold. Sam sat in his rocking chair on the porch of the farmhouse he and Eileen shared, an old fixer-upper they worked on together for years. A grey plaid blanket, a Christmas gift from Dean and Cas because they actually had time for Christmas now, sat in his lap and the hot mug of coffee warmed his hands. Eileen gave him decaf because, otherwise, he’d be up all night. She knew him well after ten years together. Sam leaned back in his chair, watched the sunset, watched the orange, red, and yellow tree leaves swaying in the cool autumn breeze, and released a contented sigh.</p><p>Sam had a lot to be thankful for. </p><p>Beside him, in his own rocking chair, sat Dean. At Sam’s noise, Dean turned his head. There was a lot of grey in his hair nowadays. Lines marked the corner of his eyes and the edges of his mouth. Dean complained about them but Sam thought they suited him. It meant he smiled more. </p><p>Sam bet Dean smiled more because of Cas. Dean had a lot to be thankful for, too.</p><p>Sam placed his empty mug on the porch railing and settled back into his seat. “Did you ever think that this would happen?” </p><p>“What?” Dean asked. </p><p>“Getting old.”</p><p>Dean snorted. It was enough of an answer.</p><p>“Yeah,” Sam said, “me too.”</p><p>“It’s a good thing you did.” Dean lolled his head against the backrest of his chair, his grin still as cocky and lopsided as it was when he and Sam were boys. “Married life suits you.”</p><p>“I’m a lucky man.”</p><p>“Yeah. I’m happy for you, Sammy.” </p><p>Dean’s eyes were dangerously shiny and wet and, if Dean started, Sam would start and the whole night would be filled with a whole lot of sniffing and blinking. Shit, they were getting sentimental in their old age. </p><p>“What about you, Dean? Hear anything from Cas?”</p><p>The name had the intended effect. Instantly, Dean’s eyes got that fond, faraway look, and a soft, dopey smile crossed his face. Yeah, Dean was so completely gone on his angel. He always had been. Sam did not doubt that Dean always would be. </p><p>“He’ll make it tomorrow,” Dean said. “He even agreed to help me with the pies.”</p><p>“Is he actually gonna help you get them done,” Sam began, “or are you gonna spend the whole time making out?”</p><p>“Shaddup.” Dean punched Sam on the shoulder. “And, uh, probably that second one. We haven’t seen each other in a while.”</p><p>“At least pick a room with a door this time.”</p><p>Dean’s cheeks reddened. Yeah, neither brother would ever forget that moment. A few days after dealing with Chuck, Dean and Cas finally broke the simmering tension between them. Unfortunately, they did it in the bunker’s kitchen. An unsuspecting Sam came back from his morning jog, looking for water, and still had his headphones in. The image was seared into his brain. Sam had no intention of letting Dean live it down. Ever.</p><p>“Yeah, uh--” Dean coughed. “I’ll, uh, make sure.”</p><p>“My poor innocent eyes thank you.”</p><p>“Okay!” Dean sat up in his chair, slapping his hands on his thighs. “So, who’re all coming to dinner tomorrow?”</p><p>“Jody and Donna are bringing the girls. Alex got the overnight shift at the hospital so she can’t make it. Garth and Bess are bringing the twins.”</p><p>“Oh, hey, Cas can finally meet Cas.”</p><p>“And, uh, Gertie’s spending the holiday with her girlfriend’s family.”</p><p>“Girlfriend? So she finally dumped that guy.” Dean flashed a thumbs-up. “Good for her.”</p><p>“And that’s about it.”</p><p>“Nice. Sounds like it’s shaping up to be a busy night.”</p><p>“Yeah, well, we built quite the family.”</p><p>“I guess we did.”</p><p>The next day, surrounded by the family he found and built over the years, Sam didn’t need daydream about a place to belong. He already had one.  </p><p>At the end of dessert, Kaia stood, her hands shaking and her voice shy, and pronounced her intention to make an announcement. Claire jumped up and bluntly stated her own need to say something. </p><p>Turned out, both of them bought rings. They offered them to each other at the same time. </p><p>The entire group raised their voices in congratulations. They'd been waiting ten years for this moment. Kaia and Claire still managed to get together way faster than Dean and Cas. Sam made sure he pointed that out. Dean flashed Sam the middle finger. Donna hopped up onto her feet and dragged both Kaia and Claire into a crushing hug. Patience smiled to herself. She probably already knew. The kids, finally offered an excuse to move, ran in circles around the dining room. Sam was pretty sure he saw Jody cry. Garth definitely did. Bess rubbed his back until he breathed.</p><p>At the head of the table, in his home he shared with his family, Sam watched Dean clutch his chest, failing miserably at appearing calm. Cas, sitting beside him, smiled wider than Sam had ever seen. Dean rested his head on Cas’s shoulder. Sam had no doubt their hands were clasped together under the table. </p><p>Eileen, having left the dining room a moment before the commotion to refill her drink, hovered in the doorway. Her eyes darted every which way, trying to figure out the cause. As always, she sought out Sam. He signed to her a quick explanation and her obvious delight lit up the room. She always lit up the room.</p><p>Sam looked at the excitement, looked at his wife, his family, and his friends and, to the whole room, brought his fingers to his chin and out: <em>thank you. </em> </p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>